This Easy Southern Squash dressing recipe is a cornbread casserole made with chicken soup, yellow or butternut squash, celery, and green peppers. Serve this for Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving, and throughout the holiday season.
What’s the Difference Between Dressing and Stuffing
Stuffing is when you actually stuff a chicken or turkey. Stuffing is made using cubes of bread and it’s really dry. Dressing is served using cornbread and is moist or a balance between moist and not soggy.
What Type of Squash to Use
Yellow squash or even butternut squash will work really well. Check out my Air Fryer Butternut Squash to add even more flavor to the dish.
What Goes in Squash Dressing
This recipe uses white onion, green peppers, and celery.
Sage and Creole Seasoning are also used for flavor. Creole Seasoning has an emphasis on herbs such as basil, oregano, and thyme. It is milder than Cajun Seasoning, so it isn’t very spicy to me. You can substitute it for whatever you like, Cajun Seasoning, or omit it if you wish.
Why You Need Day Old Cornbread
If you use fresh cornbread, your dressing mix will be really soupy and hard to thicken. Your cornbread has to be dry and pretty much stale. I like to make my Southern Homemade Cornbread Recipe the night before. You can use a boxed cornbread mix, like Jiffy, if you wish.
Once baked, allow it to cool. I store mine in the fridge overnight loosely covered in foil. You don’t want to store it in a tightly sealed bag because that will lock in moisture and it won’t dry out.
If you can’t use day-old cornbread, you can also over-bake the cornbread until it’s really dry.
Can You Use Jiffy Cornbread?
Sure, if you want. If you’re using a box mix you will need 2 cups, which is about 16-17 ounces. Follow the box instructions.
How to Make Squash Dressing
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat with olive oil, squash, celery, onions, garlic, and green peppers.
- Saute.
- Place day-old cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon and/or your hands to break down the cornbread.
- Add in the sauteed veggies, ground sage, Creole Seasoning seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Add in eggs and cream of chicken soup. Stir.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth.
- Add the dressing mixture and spread it throughout the bottom of the pan.
- Bake.
How Long to Cook and Temperature
Bake the dish for 45 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees until a toothpick returns clean.
Should the Dressing Be Covered While Cooking?
If you like moist dressing, cover it with foil while it bakes. If you like drier dressing with a crunchy top, bake it uncovered.
Can You Add Bread to it?
A lot of people love to add actual bread to their dressing. If you wish you can add any of the following.
- Pieces of cubed bread
- Pieces of cubed biscuits
- Pieces of cubed dinner rolls
- Croutons
Can You Make it the Night Before?
You can prepare it the night before and place it unbaked in the refrigerator. From there, you can bake when you like. Allow the dressing to come to room temperature prior to baking.
How to Freeze It
Place the dish in sealable bags or containers. Ensure they are tightly sealed. It can be frozen for up to several months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it in the oven until warm.
Pair With These Side Dish Recipes
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Homemade Creamed Corn
Southern Mustard Greens
Southern Coleslaw Recipe
Southern Potato Salad
Scalloped Corn
Southern Black Eyed Peas
Slow Cooker Crockpot Pinto Beans
Ham Hocks and Beans
More Dressing Recipes
Southern Cornbread Dressing with Chicken
Seafood Dressing
Oyster Dressing
African American Cornbread Dressing
Easy Squash Dressing
Ingredients
- Cooked/Day Old Cornbread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups diced yellow squash
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green peppers
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons ground sage Adjust to taste. 5 leaves if using fresh
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 14 oz cream of chicken soup
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups broth Any broth is fine including vegetable broth
- 2 eggs Beaten
Instructions
- You can get the recipe for homemade cornbread here.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, squash, celery, onions, garlic, and green peppers.
- Saute until the onions are translucent, fragrant, and the vegetables are soft. Remove the vegetables from the pan. Set aside to cool while prepping the remaining ingredients.
- Place day old cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon and/or your hands to break down the cornbread. You want to fully crumble it.
- Add in the sauteed veggies, ground sage, Creole Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Stop and taste the mixture here. This is where you want to adjust the seasoning and spice if necessary to suit your taste. Before adding the eggs, taste the dressing.
- Add in the eggs and cream of chicken soup. Stir.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth. Start with a little chicken broth and then stir until the dressing is thick. Add more when needed. You should get the consistency of thick oatmeal.
- Add the dressing mixture and spread it throughout the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered on 350 degrees until a toothpick returns clean.
Taryn
Wednesday 2nd of August 2023
Great recipe. Adding squash to cornbread stuffing lightened it up and gave it great flavor.
staysnatched
Wednesday 2nd of August 2023
So glad you think so!
Gina
Wednesday 2nd of August 2023
I am such a big fan of squash and this was so fantastic. I can't wait to make again!
staysnatched
Wednesday 2nd of August 2023
That's what I like to hear!